It took a few hours but the Tennessee Titans finally made their first splash signing of free agency after they came to a multi-year agreement with now-former Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle, Andre Dillard.
The deal is reportedly for three years and $29 million, which is about $9.6 million annually. However, we are still awaiting on the official guaranteed amount, which will likely be reasonable with Dillard’s limited playing time.
Dillard was selected in the first round by the Eagles back in 2019, but unfortunately, he suffered injuries early on and eventually lost out to Jordan Mailata after his remarkable development from seemingly out of nowhere.
The Washington State product has only played a combined total of 714 offensive snaps over four seasons (he missed 2020 with a torn biceps), including just 37 last season.
Dillard was simply the odd man out in a ridiculously stacked offensive line room. The good news is he spent the last few years in Philadelphia being groomed by arguably the best offensive line coach in the league, Jeff Stoutland.
Back in 2021, Dillard played a total of 337 snaps at left tackle, allowing just one sack and one quarterback hit over that span. Dillard also has the versatility to play both guard and tackle spots if needed.
Overall, I really like this move, assuming it comes at a reasonable cost in terms of guaranteed money. It’s exactly the type of low-risk, high-reward signing this team should make.
Plus, this move gives the Titans a little flexibility when it comes to the draft knowing that the team already has a competent option at left tackle on the roster.
With that said, by no means does this signing mean the Titans should ignore a prospect like Paris Johnson Jr. or Peter Skoronski if they’re still on the board. Tennessee still needs at least two or three new starters upfront depending on how you feel about Aaron Brewer.
Nonetheless, this move makes a lot of sense for both parties. Dillard gets an opportunity, and the Titans get a starting-caliber lineman with a lot of upside on a reasonable deal.
Hopefully, the team choosing to go with a cheaper option means they will eventually double down and add at least one more starting-caliber lineman before the peak of free agency is over.
Grade: B
